The Lily among Trees
by Lady Briseis
Summary: Talia grew up among 5 brothers,but one day her father sends her to court to learn to behave as a woman.will Talia endure life at court?Love, intrigues and action  Please R
1. Rain

Hi guys! I deleted this story from to redo the chapters. It has been a year ago since I last wrote and I think I learned a lot that year and therefore, I try to improve my chapters. I hope you like the new edition and I would be happy if you could write reviews and give me tips to improve even more. I am always willing to learn.

I guess not all of my words are well chosen, but because I am German, I do not always know which word is best. But I try to write it as fluently as possibly:-D!

I am very happy to be back again, I will try to update more regularly this time…;-)

Enjoy the story!

Chapter one: Rain

It has been raining for nearly eight days. Earie Hall resembled an island in the middle of a gigantic ocean. It was amazing what eight days of rain could do to one of the richest regions in Ifram.

Eight days could be a long time to rest inside, especially for Talia. She was not used to stay inside for more than three days. After the fourth day she became restless. Her maid Emily tried to help find an activity for her, but nothing helped. Talia started to get on the people's nervs. These people had lots to do, because in a huge castle, as Earie Hall, there was always something to do. Except for Talia, so she retreated to her room and brooded ober the nasty weather. The problem was that Talia could hardly sew or do any other "women's stuff", as she would call it. It was expected from a woman of Talia's age and her origin, a wealthy family, to have learned all this, so it was possible to find a suitable husband and bring honour to the family. But Talia was different than the other women and she was proud of it.

On the eighth day, Emily gave it up to find an activity for Talia. The fact that Talia had nothing to do resulted in her being more and more ill tempered. So Emily did not only give up, she also fled from her mistress' temper. She left her alone and went to the kitchen, where she surely would be needed more, because Tedeon, Talia's father, was celebrating his 50th birthday at the end of the week and there were many chores to be done. Everything had to be planned and the whole castle had to be clean for the guests' arrival in four days.

Talia sat in her room and looked outside the window as she had done the other seven days. Her face grew longer after each day. She really appreciated Emily's attempts to help her, but nothing helped. Talia wasn't usually a person to get bored, because she always found something to do. But all the stuff worth doing on a rainy day – stuff, she thought was interesting – had been done at least twice during the past few days. The only thing there was left to do is to wait impatiently for the wicked rain to stop. She could of course try to improve her sewing techniques, which were quite poor at the moment (She couldn't even sew a button onto a shirt without sewing pieces of the shirt together, which actually should stay apart). But Talia wasn't like the other women. She couldn't spend the day with that kind of "stuff". Who cared about laundry, when an adventure waited around every corner?

Talia decided to take yet another stroll through Earie Hall, hoping to find something to capture her interest. On her way down the stairs, an idea popped into her head. A loud "Ha" escaped her mouth and laughing about the fact that she did not think about this earlier, she flew down the stairs in search of her brothers. She wanted to see what they were doing. During the past few days of brooding over the bad weather, she simply forgot that her brothers perhaps had something to do for her. She only saw them during the meals, because the were all over the castle the rest of the day. So she presumed that they had something very interesting to do, or at least one of them – there were five after all! "If they have something interesting to do, they must have something for me as well", Talia said to her self.

Talia was the third child of Tedeon and Clair. Her mother died of a mysterious sickness, when her youngest brother was only two years old. So Talia never really grew up with a female influence in her life, which could show her all the stuff she now disliked – like sewing. Her brothers' influence is clearly seen. Since her mother death, Talia was more interested in riding and fighting and she always followed her brothers wherever they went. Her brothers treated her as a boy as well and taught her everything worth knowing. But sometimes Talia felt alone, because she needed a sister or a mother now and then and no brother could fill in this need. Though most of the time, Talia was close to her brothers, also due to the fact that they were not much older or younger than herself, and she loved being together with them. She had no problems with the fact that she was the only girl among six men.

While descending the stone stairs, Talia considered where she would be able to find one of her brothers. Earie hall was a great castle with numerous rooms and secret rooms. She decided to go to the library, where she hoped to find Thetis, her one year younger brother. He loved books and, therefore, he spent most of his time reading in the library.

She walked slowly through the castle, looking at the old tapestries, which were hanging from the high stone walls, keeping the warmth inside the castle. They always fascinated her, because each one of them had their own story to tell. And each hero on the tapestry contributed an important part to her family's history, which made everyone feel proud to be a part of. Oh, how much did she desire to be one of the heroes and make her family proud…

Talia entered the library, but she immediately knew that no one was inside. There were no candles lit and candles would have been needed if one wanted to read in this room. There were only two windows in the entire room and they were not quite big. Bookshelves, as high as a tree, stood at each wall, which made the room quite dark. Earie Hall was the owner of the second largest library in the whole country. The largest library could only be found in the capitol city itself. Earie Hall's library contained about a thousand books. Disappointed, Talia closed the library door, and began to think where she might find one of her brothers. It seemed to her as if they were hiding, but this was of course ridiculous. They were just spread throughout the castle trying to coordinate the arranging of her fathers feast.

Something that caught her eye, made her forget her search for her brothers immediately. A bird flew past the window and she could see the bright, blue sky. A smile spread across her face. She turned on her heels and walked straight to the front door. When she stepped outside, the sunbeams fell upon her face and she just stood there enjoying the warm feeling. It seemed as though her happiness and her energy returned with every sunbeam touching her face. After a while, she slowly began to walk towards the garden. Her plans for the day had suddenly changed. She was not interested in her brothers any more, wherever they might be…

Author's note: To make things easier later on, here is a lit og Lord Tedeons children:

Tanis, Tarabas & Taranis, Talia, Thetis and Talas. Hope you liked the chapter!

4


	2. Brothers

Hey Guys! Here is the second chapter. There isn't much action yet, because I still need to introduce the characters. But the action will come, don't worry ;-).

Thank you for the reviews!

**GeminiAngel236**: Thank you:-D. It took a while to think of them, but I think it's funny that they all start with a „T" ;-).

**Zoran**: Thx. I will try to finish it this time, hehe. I still have a lot of time before I start at university so maybe i can write one or two new chapters ... who knows ;-)

Enjoy! And remember to write reviews! I really want to know what you think about it.

Chapter two: Brothers

Talia did not know how long she stood there. She just enjoyed watching the country become alive again. Animals came out of their burrows again in search for food and birds flew across the sky singing their happy song. She could still hear the rain dripping, but it was only from the leaves which had become too heavy because of the water. The lawn resembled an ocean of diamonds, because the sun made the raindrops on the grass shine. Talia was lost in thoughts, when suddenly a low but strong voice made her look up. It was her maid Emily who wanted Talia to follow her to Earie hall again and prepare for dinner.

"I really do not want to go Emily. I would rather stay here and be outside as long as I can. As you can see there are some dark clouds behind the mountains. I guess it is going to rain in a few hours again…" Talia said in a low voice with a trace of sadness.

Rain was one of her worst "enemies", because rain kept her inside the castle. Or it was actually her father who kept her inside the castle. He did not want her to wander through the rain and come home with pneumonia and perhaps die. He couldn't bear to lose his beautiful daughter. Talia reminded him of his late wife every time he looked at her. If he lost Talia, he would lose his wife once again, and this he couldn't stand. So when it rained – she stayed inside.

"You know your father, mistress Talia," Emily interrupted her thoughts, "He sets great store by having the whole family together at dinner." Emily looked over the valley to the great mountains, which formed a natural border to the next region of Ifram.

"You are right mistress. It is going to rain again. I just hope it will be over before the guests arrive in four days, otherwise will have to entertain them, because they won't be able to go outside. Oh Lord!" Emily exclaimed, rolling her eyes.

"I almost forgot that father is celebrating his birthday." Talia sighed, "I am not really looking forward to a family reunion. My cousins are a drag and annoying too."

"Mistress we ought to be going now or else you won't manage to dress for dinner in time and I don't think your father will approve when you dine in this outfit-it is all filthy and muddy." Emily said with a slightly reproachful tone, examining Talia's clothes. She was wearing her favourite pair of trousers and one of her brother's shirts under a very old and shabby cape. All was covered in mud due to the fact that Talia did not go around the puddles but right through. In her opinion every one should wear trousers because they were more comfortable _and_ convenient. Dresses only caused trouble. This she would find out later on…

"You're right. Oh well, let's get going", and the two made their way back to Earie Hall.

Back in the castle, Tanis, the eldest son of Tedeon, waited for his younger brother Thetis, so they could go to dinner together.

"Why do you always have to be the slowest of us two?" Tanis murmured, tapping his foot impatiently, "Even a lame snail is faster than you are."

The tall, handsome man with his dark brown hair, tied together at the back of his head, stood in the middle of his brother's chamber, waiting for him to get finished. He just couldn't understand why Thetis always was so slow. Tanis decided this would be the last time he would wait for him.

"Now that is not true. I don't think that I am that slow. Perhaps you are just too impatient. Well anyway I am finished now and we can go to dinner." Thetis was not as big as his eldest brother, but he had the same blue eyes and dark hair.

"Finally! I guess our dinner will be cold by the time we arrive." Tanis stated.

"Would you stop now? I think I got your point, and I will try to be faster next time, all right?" Thetis answered annoyed.

The dining room was the largest room in Earie Hall. Tedeon always wanted the family to dine together, so they could discuss the events of the days, and the room was therefore the most important room of Earie Hall. The members of the family were spread in the whole castle during the day, each minding his (or her) own business (and believe me there is a lot to do in a large castle). So Tedeon had decided that they must come together at least once a day, because the family was the thing he treasured most.

There was a long wooden table in the middle of the dining room, but if this table would be moved to the side, there was enough room for other tables, when they were needed for a feast. There was always a fire in the fireplace, which made the dining room the warmest room of the castle. It was also called the heart of the castle, because all the important things took place in this particular room. Tedeon's, Lord of Elon, coat of arms hung majestically over the fireplace. It showed two crossing swords and a white dove flying above, on a red background.

As Tanis and Thetis entered, they discovered that they were one of the first to be there. Their father had not arrived yet. Talas, the youngest brother, was the only one already seated at the table, waiting for the others.

"Tanis, Thetis! There you are! Where are all the others? I am so hungry, I could eat a whole cow!" Talas said, relieved to see someone of the family.

"Talas", Thetis laughed, "You are always hungry! And I guess you can wait a few more moments. You will not starve to death that is for sure."

"I thought we were the last to come, because Thetis was slow once again." Tanis said, wondering where the others could be.

"Ha ha. That is typical for Thetis," The young man with green eyes and long dark blond hair answered with a grin and a twinkle in his eye.

"Don't you start too" Thetis cried out. "Hey Tarabas and Taranis! Where have you been?"

Thetis saw the twins entering the dining room. Tarabas and Taranis both were almost as tall as Tanis, they had green eyes and dark blond hair, which was cut short. Both decided to grow a beard, because they thought it made them look older and wiser – and the girls liked it too ;-).

"We were held up, because we found a secret passage and we HAD to find out where it led to" Taranis answered with a large smile on his face. Tarabas proudly explained, with the same large smile on his face, "It started on the second floor, just next to the armour of our grandpa and it led to the laundry room. Now I wonder, why would someone build a secret passage to the laundry room?"

"… Perhaps to slip out of the castle without anybody noticing to meet with his or her secret lover. As you know there is a tunnel in the laundry room that leads outside to the gardens", a female voice answered.

Everybody turned around to face to the large wooden doors of the dining room entrance. Talia entered, wearing a light blue dress with a silver hem. She had her dark brown hair braided with a light blue ribbon.

"Talia, you always have interesting theories, you know? By the way, you look wonderful! How was your day?" Tanis asked, hugging his sister as she joined her brothers.

"It was boring, as usual. I was outside for a while, when it stopped raining, but it wasn't long enough." Talia answered with a sigh.

"You just couldn't stay inside could you? You are even more impatient than me." Tanis winked, "I am already irritated when I have to wait for Thetis" – "Stop it Tanis, it is not funny anymore. I said I would change, didn't I?" Thetis interrupted angrily.

"I think that is enough boys." The Duke of Elon entered the dining room. "Children, I am sorry that I am late, but I had some things to do and they just couldn't wait. Are we all here?" Tedeon asked and looked into the group. Then he took his seat at the head of the table. The others sat down too, except for Talas who already was seated.

"Finally we can have dinner!" Tedeon exclaimed happily, looking at his children. This was the cue and the servants began to carry the dinner into the dining room.

5


	3. The dress

Here comes chapter number three! There isn't much I have changed in the first chapters, because I thought they were quite ok. But the changes are going to come later on. I know you want some action, and I promise it is going to come.

**Zoran**: I only have hot people in my story :-P, I know that in a family fights are not unusual so of course, they can't be missing in this story. Because each person is different (except the twins perhaps ), the fights are even more interesting!.

I hope you are enjoying the story and don't worry, chapter 4 is on the way :-D!

Chapter three: The dress

The sun shone down upon Earie Hall. The large castle with its thick stone walls and its high tower was still peaceful, because the day had just begun. Earie Hall had one hundred bedrooms distributed among five stories. Every storey was cleaned and decorated with flowers. Red was the dominating colour – it was Tedeon's favourite colour and the colour of his coat of arms. Especially the important rooms, like the large library, the dining room, the drawing room, the hall and the great hallways were decorated in such luxury that one could think it was the royal palace. There were red and gold ribbons, lots of flowers and candles were lit the whole day. But also the minor rooms, like the kitchen and the laundry room were cleaned and decorated with flowers, so the servants also had their part of fun on the big day. The big day, which everyone was working for, was the birthday feast of Lord Tedeon.

Slowly the castle began to come alive. The servants started to do their tasks, so everything would be ready for the guests' arrival. They would arrive in a few hours. Important Lords, relatives and friends of Tedeon would be coming from every direction to take part in the great feast. They would come over the mountains in the South, over the hills in the East, through Greenwood, the forest which always was green, in the West and over the fields in the North. A feast like this hadn't been held for ages. After all, Lord Tedeon was the richest and most respected Lord and, therefore, a certain amount of luxury and grandness was expected.

After breakfast Thetis, Tarabas and Taranis went to the guards' barracks. They lay on the Eastside of Earie hall. The barracks were big enough for all three hundred guards and their families. Tents were built up for the guests' guards, because no lord, not even the poorest, would travel without his guards. Even though there hadn't been war for thirty years, bandits and robbers still roamed the country in search for new victims. One couldn't be cautious enough.

The three brothers waited until all guards gathered around them, because they had to give them instructions for the security of Earie Hall. A gathering of Lords and rich people was always a good target, so security was spelled with a capitol "S". Nothing should destroy the big day.

"And remember", Tarabas warned, "If there is a suspicious person, bring him, or her, to me or to one of my brothers, but quietly and unnoticed. We do not want to disturb the guests, and it would be rather embarrassing if it was false alert and everybody would see it, wouldn't it?"

"Yes our lord" The guards replied, nodding in agreement. Then they turned away to follow the instructions they were given.

"Well, that is done", Taranis said "What do we have to do know? Still much left, isn't there?"

"Yep, I guess so," Thetis answered, "I would say one of us stays here and sees to it that the guards do the right thing. I think I will do that. You two, you must go and see to the weapons in the weapon room. They have to be ready. When I say ready, then I mean that they are sharp and shiny."

"All right, if you say so, 'Big Boss' " Taranis said in a teasing tone, tapping Tarabas on his shoulder, giving him the sign that they should leave. They made their way up to the castle, laughing.

"Why is everybody picking on me?" Thetis frowned, turning away to the barracks to supervise the work.

Meanwhile in the castle, Tanis and Tedeon were talking to the cook to decide in which order the food should come.

"What do you think father, should the roasted pig or the turkey come first?" Tanis asked, not really knowing why the order of the food was _that_ important.

"If I may say something," the cook, a man at the age of forty with thick black curls and a big stomach, asked politely.

"You may, Cedric" The Lord of Elon answered.

"I would say we let the turkey be first, because it is not as heavy to eat as the roasted pig. Everybody would like to begin with something light, wouldn't they?"

"Funny, why I did not think of that. You are absolutely right. We will do it that way. Tanis, you will arrange the rest of the order. I believe you can do that, it is furthermore a good exercise for the future Lord of Elon."

Tedeon left the kitchen. Tanis had his problems with the task at first, because he had no idea in what order the food should come. But with a helping hand from the cook he finally managed to set up an order of which he hoped his father would approve.

Talas and Talia should supervise the work in the stables and in the garden, so everything was ready and clean when the guests arrived. Talas loved animals, so he saw to the stables. There had to be enough room for all the horses that were to come. Talas saw no problem in that. After all, their stables were big enough for four hundred horses. After he finished, he joined Talia in the gardens, where she controlled the gardeners' work.

The gardens of Earie Hall were, as the rest of the castle, large (what would you expect?). It was sorted in colours. There was a section for red, blue, yellow, purple and white flowers. The founder of Earie hall, Tedeons great-grandfather Urion, had loved flowers very much, so he had imported them from all over the country. The garden was really a lovely place and everybody enjoyed the colours and loved to spend the summer days just wandering around, looking at all the different kinds of flowers. It was expected that the guests would do the exact same thing. The last few days of rain were a blessing, as the gardeners called it, because the colours of the flowers were as bright as never before. It was as if they knew that they had to show all their splendour to impress the expected guests.

The gardeners had done a great job, so Talia and Talas slowly made their way back to the castle. She liked spending time with her youngest brother. She felt comfortable in his presence. Talas was never a very loud and adventurous boy. Instead, he liked caring for animals and people as well, and he always lent his ear if someone had a problem. Talas never had any prejudices against anyone. He saw the good in every person. It was probably this goodness that made Talia feel comfortable. It also fascinated her how this quiet and caring boy earned just as much respect as her eldest brother Tanis.

"I am glad that the guests finally arrive today" Talas said pulling her out of her thoughts, "I can't wait to see all our relatives again".

"You only speak for yourself, brother. I have to spend my time with my cousins, each telling me the latest gossip about will get married this summer and so on. And I am really not looking forward to the question: 'When are you getting married Talia? You are of age.'" Talia moaned, rolling her eyes.

"You know Talia, I always wanted to ask you: When _are _you getting married?" Talas laughed and ran back to the castle.

Talia followed him angrily and yelled: "When I get hold of you, you little…, I swear you won't be laughing then…"

Talia managed to grab Talas at the entrance of Earie Hall. The large and think wooden doors are carved with battling scenes of an almost forgotten battle. It was the battle, where Urion, the founder of Earie Hall, had won this rich land.

"Hold it Talia, I don't think father would be too happy if I'd arrive with a blue eye. How should he explain it to his guests? Should he say that his daughter beat up her little brother? How would that sound? He expects from you to act like a lady and I know beating up other person is surely not the proper way to act…" Talas said grinning. He knew he was saved.

"You are just lucky my friend," Talia answered, still holding Talas," You are just lucky that father's feast saved your neck."

But before Talas ran off to his chamber, Talia couldn't resist slapping him on the head. After all, she was older and probably stronger and she had to show him. "See you later" Talas yelled back while running, and when he turned around the corner she could hear him laughing.

Talia couldn't help it, she began to laugh herself. She loved her brother, no matter what he would say. Still chuckling, she started to make her way to her own chamber. Talia ascended the large stone stairs up to the third floor, where her room lay. She entered and saw her maid Emily waiting for her. Her room was coloured in Talia's favourite colour – green. She had green pillows, green curtains, even the frame of her mirror was painted green.

Talia walked over to Emily, but then she saw something lying on her bed that caught her attention. She stepped closer and what she saw was a nightmare. On the bed lay the ugliest dress she ever saw. She didn't like dresses in general, but this _thing _was the top of the edge. It was golden and with large bows everywhere. The sleeves were puffed, pearls were sewed onto the collar and the skirt was gigantic, because it had at least ten underskirts. As she picked it up she felt how heavy and immovable it was. She knew it HAD to be uncomfortable. She hated it.

"Do I really have to wear this…this…thing?" Talia asked disgusted.

"Lord Tedeon orders you to wear it tonight. He says it is the newest fashion in the capitol city Dubbon" Emily answered, stepping forward to help Talia undress, not paying attention to her disgusted grimace.

"I do not wish to wear this. If I do I will look like a golden ball and I know I am going to make a fool of myself. By the way, I do not think I can move in this dress. I will have to disobey my father. I _won't _wear it!" Talia's attempts of not getting into the dress were hopeless. In the end Emily won, and helped her into the dress. Talia's frown only grew longer and longer.

"Mistress, Lord Tedeon _ordered_ you to wear this dress. As a well raised daughter, you must obey him." Emily replied, gripping Talia's arm so she stood still and then closed her dress. Talia tried to move around without looking too awkward, but it was impossible.

"One thing is for sure, there will be a lot to laugh about tonight. I am going to be the fool of the evening." Talia groaned.

"But mistress, you look wonderful." Emily stated, pleased with herself and her work.

"I look like a golden ball – an _ugly_ golden ball. How could any woman who has a common sense wear something horrid as this? I guess the ladies at court must be stupid enough to think that they look good in these dresses? Emily, can't I wear the red dress? You know the one with the golden hem?"

"Mistress, you mustn't disobey your father's orders. Especially not on his birthday!"

Talia let out a helpless sigh in despair.There was a knock on the door. Andrew entered, one of many male servants in the castle.

"Milady, the guests are arriving, your father wishes that you come down to meet them. Your brothers are already on their way"

"Thank you, Andrew. Oh well, here we go." Talia stepped out of her room, trying not to step on her dress and still to move as elegant as possible.


	4. The Embarrassment

It's me again. Here comes the next chapter… It is actually my favorite until now because as I promised, there is some action! Thank you to all who read and reviewed my story. You don't know how happy I am that you like my story!

**GeminiAngel236**Yeah, I think so too. I love dresses, but this dress is just a nightmare .

**Zoran: **Do you really want the dress? . I did not really give them a specific age, but I imagine that Talia is about 24 and then Tanis is 28, Taranis and Tarabas are 26, Thetis 23 and Talas about 20-21. But you can make it up yourself. You know, I LOVE Pride and Prejudice..hehe, so I guess that is my inspiration…love is on the way, don't worry!

**x-baby.doll-x**Thank you very much! I am **so **happy you like it .

Thank you for your reviews and enjoy the story!!

Chapter four: The Embarrassment

Tedeon stood in the great hall, awaiting his guests. Everybody who entered the hall knew at once that Lord Tedeon was a respected and very powerful man. He was taller than his eldest son Tanis, which emphasized his authority, and even though he turned 50, his body still looked as if he was 30. Only his gray hair gave away his true age. Wearing a noble red tunic with a golden collar and his coat of arms on his chest, Lord Tedeon spread a feeling of pride throughout the whole hall. The hall was decorated in red and gold as well. Furthermore, flowers, picked from their very own garden, decorate the hall. A smile hushed across his face, pleased with the servants' work. The castle looked great.

He had been waiting a long time for this day, because his whole family would be together again. They had not seen each other for years. He just hoped everything would be fine. Luckily his children had helped him to arrange everything. He did not know what to do without them, they were his whole joy and pride. He wouldn't give them away for all the treasures in the world. Since his beloved wife Marianne had died, he had thought he could never manage to do it all alone. Only his children had given him a reason to live.

Thinking of his children Tedeon proudly raised his chest. "They have turned out well" he whispered.

- Tanis was worthy of being the future Lord of Elon. The only thing Tanis had to do was find a beautiful wife, who would give him fine heirs. He was also proud of his other sons. Each one of them had their own special talent. Thetis was intelligent and always had a solution for a problem, Tarabas and Taranis were adventurous – perhaps a bit too much – and always knew how to lighten up the mood, and Talas was caring and could work with animals.

Talia, however, was different. She wasn't like the other women in her age. But he loved her no matter what, because every time he looked at her, he saw his beautiful wife. He knew it was a mistake to let her brothers have so much influence on her, but he got used to it and he is not very keen on changing her. He loved her the way she was – a strong and independent mind of her own, perhaps a bit stubborn and impatient sometimes – "or rather _very_ stubborn" he murmured. But Tedeon also knew that this could not continue. He knew what expectations the other people had of Talia. He would have to think of something for her – after the feast.

"Here we are father", Taranis interrupted Tedeon's thoughts. "All washed and groomed and ready for the big family reunion"

They laughed.

"Thank you Taranis, for explaining the situation. You always know what is going on." Tedeon chuckled.

He turned his head and looked to his right, where his children now stood neatly in one line. His eyes rested on Talia and he smiled. 'How beautiful she looks. Just like her mother and I must say, the dress looks wonderful on her. She looks like a woman from court. Although her behaviour probably will prove that I am wrong. I just hope she will manage to behave properly tonight.'

Tedeon's thoughts began to wander off again but were interrupted immediately as Andrew announced the first guest. It was Lord Roderick, who bred the finest horses in whole Ifram.

"Lord Roderick," Lord Tedeon stepped forward and hugged his old friend who answered him with a broad smile. "I am glad you could come and I hope you will enjoy the feast. My servants will show you and your suite to your rooms."

The next to come were Kitiara, Tedeon's only sister, and her son Jonathan. He was younger than Talas, but acted as if he was the man of the house (which he actually was, because his father died by falling off his horse five years ago). Giving Kitiara a warm and welcome hug and dishevelling Jonathan's hair, he greeted them.

"Kitiara, I am so happy to see you! And Jonathan, you have grown tall. You look as handsome as your father" Tedeon smiled.

Kitiara was shown to her rooms and the next guest arrived. It was Lord Flint, who had the largest fleet of ships in the whole kingdom. After Lord Flint, Bors and Hector arrived. They were Tedeon's friends in battle when Tedeon was young. They were also shown to their rooms, after their warm welcoming.

Little by little all the guests arrived. The most prominent guest among them was Lord Richard, who was the cousin of King Athlone. Lord Richard and Lord Tedeon connected a very deep friendship, so Lord Tedeon was more than happy to see his dear friend arrive. Then Lord Henry, who was known for his hounds – the best in Ifram – and Tedeon's mother Rhiannon arrived. His brother Francis arrived as well with his wife Gabria and their son Thomas and their daughter Leila. Also his other two brothers arrived with their families. Rick came with Chiana and their twin daughters Jacqueline and Josephine. Colin came with Meela and their three sons, Ronald, George and Robert. All were bid welcome and led to their rooms. Some of them had more than a two days journey behind them and, therefore, wanted to get some rest before the feast began.

All in all, 120 guests arrived, not counting the suits. Luckily Earie Hall was big enough for them all.

The sun was already setting, when the guests were asked to come into the dining room. Here, the feast would begin. One after the other entered and was shown to his or her seat. Tedeon and his children sat at the head table, in front of the fireplace. The other tables stood in five vertical rows. Talia let her eyes gaze across the room and a slight frown appeared. There were so many people she never met before. 'This is going to be a very long evening', she thought. Talia sat in her chair, trying to find a comfortable position, but her dress didn't allow this.

Tedeon looked around and waited until all were seated. Finally, standing, he raised his glass and welcomed the guests once again.

"My guests! As I already said, I am very happy that you all could come. This is a very important day for me. I have become fifty and god knows I am not the youngest anymore." – _Silent chuckling_ – "But I want to enjoy life as long as I can. And what better way is there to do this, if not with my friends and family? I also want to thank you all for your wonderful gifts" Tedeon looked upon the huge pile of golden plates and cups, books, weapons, tapestries and many other fancy stuff, which were placed in the corner. "Tomorrow afternoon, there will be contests in all sorts of disciplines. There are fine prizes to be won! I doubt that there will be a lack of fun! Now, let the feast begin and I hope you enjoy it."

Chattering filled the room after the food was served. In between the lively conversations, you could hear forks and knives shattering and very loud laughter. There were always people who wanted to be the centre of attention and who had a very interesting and funny story to tell – like Lord Flint. After a few beers his mood was at its best. He told everyone who wanted to listen about the time he and Lord Tedeon had to investigate some incidents in a small town. "Instead of greeting us warmly," Lord Flint explained loudly, "they came after us with a stick. I shall never forget the old woman's beating – my head still hurts today" Laughter was the answer. Many similar stories followed.

Tanis, Tarabas, Taranis, Thetis and Talas sat together with there cousins Jonathan, Ronald, Robert, George and Thomas. They were sitting at the part of the table which laughed the most and the loudest. "… and then, after the girl turned him down, George slipped and fell into a puddle of mud." Robert finished a funny story about his brother George. The others couldn't stop laughing, except George whose head suddenly turned red.

A small sigh could be heard. Talia, sitting at another table, was watching her brothers having a good time, while she had to sit together with her cousins Leila, Jacqueline and Josephine. They were much younger than she was, therefore, it was hard to find a common interest. The girls only had eyes for the attractive men sitting spread among the guest (and believe me, there were a lot of attractive men, so there was a lot to talk about). That was their only occupation, besides talking about the newest fashion in their cities. Talia smiled and pretended to follow the conversations, but only to disguise her boredom. Once in a while, she played with one of her curls which was loosened out of her braids.

"Did you see him, Josephine? I just love his blue eyes." Jacqueline asked delighted.

"He is alright, but did you see the man sitting next to our father? I just love those broad shoulders…"

"Talia, what do you prefer in a guy?"

"Uhm," Talia, confused because she was torn out of her day dream, did not really know what to say, but she gave it a shot, "perhaps his intelligence?"

"Nonsense" The girls giggled. "The only important thing is his looks. And he just _has_ to be cute."

"By the way…When are _you _getting married?"

There it was. The question Talia hated the most and she surely did not want to discuss it with her younger cousins.

"Well…" Talia began, her brain working fast to find a way out of this situation, "You know, I do not feel very well, I will go and get some fresh air."

Talia quickly left the table, leaving three disappointed cousins behind. She tried to make her way through the crowd, but her dress made it very difficult.

"At least I am not the fool of the feast tonight." Talia told herself "There are plenty of other women who are wearing a similar dress. It is a gathering of puffy and very colourful balls…"

Finally, Talia arrived outside. Inside the music started – the dancing would begin.

"Dancing will be impossible for me tonight – all because of the dress," Talia frowned. She loved to dance. Just as much as she knew that it would be impossible to dance, she knew that one of her brothers would surely ask her to dance with him. They always did.

"Oh well, let's go and let everybody have a good laugh." She entered the dining room again.

Some guests were already dancing, by the time she arrived. The tables were moved to the side, so there was enough room for all. It seemed as if almost everyone was dancing, she saw her father dancing with her grandmother, Thetis, Taranis and Tarabas were dancing with women she had never seen before, and even her cousins all found a young handsome man, which they dragged onto the dance floor.

Tanis caught her eye. He was moving towards her, smiling. "So it is Tanis who wants to make a fool out of me", she said under her breath.

"Talia, would you give me the honour and dance with me?" Tanis grinned, he knew how complicated it would be dancing in this dress. Her answer could be read in her grey blue eyes – they reflected disgust and anger. But still she accepted.

"Very well" Talia said, scowling.

She took a step forward and she wanted to place her hand in her brothers, but then it happened what she tried to prevent the whole evening. A horrified "Oh no" could be heard and then things took their course.

Her dress got stuck on the edge of a statue. The statue fell as Talia began to walk. Talia fell to the ground, because she tripped over her own dress. The statue crashed to the floor as well, knocking over a table filled with food. The food flew across the room and landed on many dancing guests, who stopped their dancing immediately in chock. Everybody looked into Talia's direction.

Many started giggling and soon it turned into loud and cheerful laughing. Even those who had food all over themselves began to laugh. As if that wasn't enough, a servant, who didn't notice what was going on, tripped over the statue on the floor and the wine, which he was carrying, landed on Tanis light blue tunic. Tanis looked at his tunic and then at Talia, who was still lying on the floor and then back at his tunic. Talia didn't dare to get up. Suddenly Tanis joined the others in laughter. He was one of them who laughed the most and the loudest. While helping Talia up from the ground, she saw that his eyes were filled with tears – laughing tears. Even her father, who tried to hold it back, burst out in laughter.

Talia, on the other hand, did not feel like laughing at all. Her cheeks were fiery red of embarrassment. 'Please let me sink into the ground. That is all I want.' She thought, close to tears.

That was enough for Talia. She turned on the spot, her head held up high and made her way through the crowd. She tried to look unimpressed and she tried really hard _not _to notice Robert and her other cousins holding their hand in front of their stomachs in laughter. But as soon as she left the dining room she began to run fast as the dress would let her, tears running down her cheeks. "I knew this would happen. I knew!!!" The flow of tears would not stop.

Talia still heard the laughter as she ascended the stairs on the way to her room. One thing was for sure, this story would spread through the castle like a running fire.

In tears, Talia sobbed, "Why, _why_ does it happen to me? The next days are going to be the worst days of my life. This was probably just the beginning..."

She did not know that she was going to be right.

Author's note:

Here is a little list, to help you understand the family structur in Lord Tedeon's family :

Lord Tedeon + Marianne (deceased): Tanis, Tarabas, Taranis, Talia, Thetis, Talas

Francis (Tedeon's brother) + Gabria: Leila, Thomas

Rick (Tedeon's brother) + Chiana: Jacqueline and Josephine

Colin (Tedeon's brother) + Meela: Ronald, George, Robert

Kitiara (Tedeon's sister) + Ulrich (deceased): Jonathan

Rhiannon (Tedeon's mother)


	5. The Morning after

Hey guys! Thank you for all your reviews so far . I am always happy to read them. In this chapter, you will learn more about Talia and her feelings, but in the next chapter there will be more action again :-D!

Please read and review my story. I love reviews sooo much –lol-.

Enjoy!

**GeminiAngel236**Really? Talia can't be perfect so I thought it would be fun writing about a stubborn woman…

**Zoran: **There is still more to come. And don't worry, the people who laughed at her won't get away that easily

Chapter five: The morning after

Talia had no desire to get up the next morning. If she could, she would stay in bed the whole day and speak to no one, not even Emily. But it was impossible and this made her angry. The feast would go on in a few hours, and because she was the daughter of the host, she had to be there. It was expected.

"My father….he is not better than the rest of the guests. He laughed at me as if I was some sort of jester. I still can't believe it. My brothers aren't better either and I thought they would be. Oh…I must have looked like an idiot", Talia frowned, getting out of bed reluctantly.

The golden dress lay in a corner. Talia had thrown it away just after she had managed to free herself of it. She hoped never to see it again, even wished that it would disappear during the night. Disappointed, Talia saw that it was still there. To defy the huge and goldendress, which actually filled more than the corner because of its size, Talia put on the exact opposite - a red and very simple dress. It had long sleeves and a silver hem. This dress was one of her favourites, because it had belonged to her mother. Talia was just about to set her hair, when Emily entered.

"Mistress Talia! Let me do that for you, after all I am your maid." Emily snapped the brush out of Talia's hand and began to brush her hair, soon Talia's hair looked silky. Then Emily started to braid the dark brown hair with a silver ribbon.

"Your hair is very beautiful, as the rest of you, mistress. Many wish they had your beauty…"

"Emily please, you don't have to be nice to me", Talia interrupted, "You know exactly what happened yesterday evening, don't you? I am not made of candy and I especially do not need people's pity."

"Well," Emily began, her cheeks red of embarrassment. She did want to pity her mistress, because she thought it was _awful_ what had happened the night before. She didn't see it though, but learned about it from Anna, the kitchen maid. Now Emily tried to comfort her mistress.

"I did hear a lot about it, but you know the servants, mistress, they talk much and most of it is nonsense. I, for my part, do not believe the talking and I think it wasn't as bad as they say."

"For once, the servants are not talking nonsense. It was horrible. I knew the dress would make a fool out of me. You should have been there Emily. Everyone was laughing, even my brothers and my father. I couldn't stand it. And then I made a huge mistake – I ran out of the room. Now people will think I am just a weak woman who can't even stand a bit of laughter." Tears filled Talia's eyes, but she held them back. Too many tears had been shed because of this ridiculous situation. She was a strong woman and a situation like this should _not _affect her that much.

'I will not cry again. I will not cry." Talia said in her thoughts. She hated being vulnerable and she hated herself even more that she had shown this last night.

Talia had herself quickly under control again. Sadness was replaced by slight anger – anger towards her brothers and her father. It felt as if they had stabbed her in the back and she wanted to pay them back. 'I will think of something. If nothing helps, I will just have to beat up my brothers.' Talia smirked.

While braiding her hair, Emily watched Talia in the mirror. She saw that she was fighting back tears, and that Talia tried everything to hide them from her, But Emily knew Talia well. After the mistress' mother had died, Emily took her place and tried to raise Talia as a lady. She knew every part of Talia and her changing moods. That is the reason, why she recognized the smirk presented on Talia's face after her struggle with the tears.

"Mistress," Emily exclaimed. "You won't be doing anything rash, would you?" Emily was worried. She wanted to prevent in Talia doing something stupid. After all, her master's feast had just begun, and Earie Halll was filled with many guests. She couldn't allow her mistress to embarrass herself again, or her father…

"Promise me, you won't do anything rash, mistress. Think of your father!"

Talia was annoyed of Emily's pleading, because it was also her father's fault that she felt miserable inside and that she needed "revenge" to satisfy her anger.

"All right" Talia answered, hoping it was done with that. But she would pay them back, in some sort of way.

"Very well," Emily wasn't really satisfied, but didn't want to push the matter either. She hoped that Talia was clever enough to know how to behave – behave like a woman. This was a side of Talia, Emily would like to see most of the time, and she really tried everything to teach her how to behave correctly. She even taught her sewing, but Talia turned out to be a complete failure. But what can you expect? She grew up among boys, where a hard shell was needed to survive. There was no room for a sensitive and vulnerable side and especially no lady-like behaviour. And when, by any chance, this sensitive side did get to the surface, Talia tried everything to lock it away again. She did not want to show her weak side so it could be used against her. Her hard shell was her self defence mechanism.

A tear appeared in Emily's eye. It was very sad for her to see that it was impossible for Talia to open up her heart.

'Hopefully something or someone will be able to change her.' Emily tried to comfort herself.

"Are you finished Emily? I should be getting to breakfast now." Talia pulled Emily out of her thoughts, not noticing the tears in Emily's eyes.

"Yes, mistress." Emily shook away her tears, "But I think your family has already eaten, and by the way, it is almost noon."

"You are right it is almost noon, oh well, I will just eat lunch then." Talia said, getting up from the chair, walking out of the room and leaving Emily behind.


	6. The Competitions

Finally here is a new chapter. I am very sorry that it took so long. I started studying at university and I did not know that it would occupy so much of my time. But I can assure you that the next chapter is already in progress. I really hope you enjoy it…

Ps. Thank you for my reviews and don't forget to review again

Chapter six: the competitions

The sun was showing itself from its best side already since dawn. Not a single cloud could be seen. It seemed to be a perfect day for the continuing of Lord Tedeon's feast. Even though the sun had not shone more that four hours, many guests were already talking a walk through gardens, trying not to miss a single ray of light. It was a true feast for the eyes – as if in a competition, the flowers competed against each other in their beauty and radiance. With such a richness of colours, it was difficult for the spectators to decide which part of the garden was truly the most magnificent. But not only were the gardens the subject of the conversations during the day. The recent incident in the dining hall did not loose its hilarity and was still the centre of every conversation. Throughout the garden you could hear laughing and chuckling. The latter could be heard from Lord Tedeon and his son Talas, who were just passing a bed of tulips, radiating in a bright red, yellow and orange.

"Can you remember the look on Talia's face when the servant tripped over her and the food went flying across the whole room? I will never forget it." Talas tried hard not to burst out laughing - again. Even though, he truly loved his sister and would never laugh at her viciously, the incident last night was not easily forgotten and too funny to ignore. He just _had_ to burst out laughing.

Lord Tedeon chuckled as well. "It is not right to laugh at my children, but last night was just too hilarious. And I haven't laughed so much in a long, long time. Talia truly made this evening unforgettable – for me and my guests. Although…" Tedeon stroked his beard absently, his mind wandering off.

"Although, what?"

"I do believe we managed to hurt Talia. She tried hard not to show, but I saw the same struggle in her eyes like when your mother – god rest her soul – used to fight hard against the upcoming tears. I think she noticed us laughing and will probably want revenge in some sort of way. She truly has her mother's spirit. No one could humiliate her without receiving his share in return. This however troubles me."

"Troubles you? I really think you are overestimating Talia. She would never do anything to humiliate you. And by the way, I think she was too occupied with her dress to notice us. She probably noticed the other guests, but she can hardly take revenge on every single on, now can she?" Talas stopped chuckling, but a wide grin spread across his face, revealing his radiant smile – which many young women fell for.

"Well, we will see."

"I'll be off. I see that there are some ladies, waiting to be complimented." Still smiling, Talas left his father standing beside flower bed filled with a number of red and yellow flowers, spreading a warm feeling. Lord Tedeon, however, did not take much notice of his son leaving, nor of the joyful flowers, because he was having a battle of thoughts in his mind.

'_Talia's boyish behaviour might really get her – or me – in real trouble_.' – 'Nonsense, _Talia is smart enough to know when she has to behave properly. She will know that it is vital for a daughter of a Lord to behave gracefully.' – 'It is too late to teach her to be graceful and it is my fault. I let my sons take over the education. And therefore, she turned into another son.' – 'You had other things on your mind. It's not your fault. And by the way, one son more or less, what does it matter?' – 'It matters a lot. After all, she is my __**daughter**__. This has got to stop. I __**love**__ my daughter, but the time is more than right for her to learn that she is not a boy, but a lady. I will talk to her after the feast. Her boyish behaviour cannot continue without certain consequences.'_

"I am sorry, Claire. I guess you would disapprove in the way your daughter was brought up. I will try my best to make it right again." Lord Tedeon mumbled.

"Lord of Elon," a male voice made Tedeon's head jerk up and pull him out of his thoughts. First now, he saw that he was standing in the middle of a path and stroking the petals of a yellow rose absentmindedly. He saw a man, perhaps at the end of his thirties, coming towards him in a brief but proud walk. He was dressed in a green tunic and black leather trousers. His beard was just as black as his hair. Only single silver lines highlighted the raven colour of his hair.

"Lord Richard", Tedeon exclaimed, a smile dressing his face, "how can I help you. I hope you are enjoying our wonderful garden, and no worry the competitions are going to start in a short time."

"I was indeed enjoying your garden. I only came over to compliment you on your wonderful feast. It has been a long time since I enjoyed myself as much as I do here. Though, I truly regret that the King and his family couldn't come. They would have liked it." Lord Richard remarked.

"I am honoured, Lord Richard. Please do sit at my side when the competitions begin." Tedeon answered. "We should be going now though, or else they will start without us. That would be a shame now, wouldn't it?

"Oh yes indeed. We would not want to miss it. I just want to add that the dinner yesterday evening was _very_ amusing – especially the young Lady who was the centre of attention because of her …uhm… little incident. She was very entertaining." Lord Richard grinned. "Do you by any chance know who she was? She was of overwhelming beauty."

"Well" Tedeon began, embarrassed that this "young lady" was his daughter, but proud nonetheless that she was admired because of her a beauty.

"Yes?"

"She is my only daughter. Talia."

"Really?" Lord Richard answered surprised, "You are blessed to have a beautiful daughter like her. She will be a fine match for a worthy husband." _- 'If any man would want her with her behaviour.'_ Lord Tedon thought bitterly. - "I would take her myself, if I wasn't happily married. But still, you must introduce her to me later this afternoon. I am very eager to make her acquaintance."

"It would be my pleasure."

Talia rushed out of the dining-room, because she knew her father hated it when she was late. She did not run, because it was not appropriate for a lady – this she remembered from her few etiquette-classes. She walked briefly, while her blue dress with red hem swayed back and forth around her ankles. It was one of her favourite dresses, because it belonged to her mother, who had worn it with much pleasure. The dress had a low neck, with golden embroidery. It was a dress for a confident woman.

Talia hurried past many chattering people. The guests looked at her when she passed and started chuckling again. Talia ignored them and kept her eyes fixed upon a point straight ahead of her, trying not to think about it.

'_Just ignore them, Talia_.' She commanded herself. '_Don't let them get near you. Be strong – like a man. Like your brothers. Don't let their laughter defeat you!_'

After encouraging herself, Talia arrived at the stand. Tanis, Tarabas, Thetis, Talas and Taranis were already seated.

"Good afternoon to you, my dear sister" Tarabas shouted as Talia was only a few meters away, "We didn't see much of you this morning. Did you have problems getting out of your dress?" Tarabas, Taranis and Thetis started laughing. Tanis grinned.

Talia glanced furiously at her brothers. "You just go on laughing. Next time, you are stuck in a hideous dress and not able to move I will return the favour you have just shown me and laugh at you. By the way, the dress is still in my room? Do you want to try it on? It does go well with your hair, Tarabas." Talia smirked. Compared with her brothers, Talia's tongue was just as loose.

"Now, now Talia. You know we were only mocking. Don't take it too serious." Tanis answered, smiling confidently. He was wearing a dark blue tunic that day and his dark hair falling onto his shoulders. Tanis was not only the eldest son, but also the most handsome. He had many female admirers. His brothers could not be called ugly either. Each one had something charming and handsome and, therefore, they had their share of admirers as well. Because none of Talia's brothers were married yet, many young women still hoped for a chance to become a part of the family. After all, Lord of Elon was one of the most respected and powerful Lords in Ifram.

Tanis held out his hand to help his sister up the stairs. But she ignored it and took her seat beside Thetis. Tarabas and Taranis were still sniggering when Tedeon arrived. Lord Richard, was seated in Tanis chair, so Tanis moved to an empty chair at Talia's left side.

"Ah" Tedeon exclaimed "Children, you are all here. Nice, very nice." His eyes rested on Talia for a short moment and then moved to the other stands. "My guests have arrived as well. The competitions can finally begin."

Tedeon rose, raising his hands to the skies. "My guests, I hope you had a nice morning! We will now come to the next part of my feast: the competitions!" Cheering, clapping and whistling was the answer. Competitions were always gladly seen and promised to be very entertaining – exactly what people want when a feast is given.

"My guests," Tedeon shouted and the crowd became silent, "I know you are all looking forward to this, but I let me just explain the rules. There are three competitions. The first one is the sword fight. The second is spear throw and the last is archery! The competitors are three guards from every present lord's suite including my own – one guard for every competition. Each winner will receive a gilded flower and all the guards will receive a banquet of their own this night! And of course, no one will be harmed during the fights, because it is not a fight of lands or territory but a fight among friends and allies. "

Lord Tedeon was interrupted once again by the cheering crowd. It was important for the spectators that the competitions are on a friendly basis. Half a century ago war between the Lords of different territories in Ifram had been ended. The greed for power and the thought of revenge had kept the war alive, which had been raging for many years. Thousands of brave men had lost their lives for a war that now seemed unnecessary. Nobody liked to be remembered, because it had been the darkest episode in Ifram's history.

"Well" Tedeon continued "What else is there to say, than 'Let the competitions begin and may the best man win'!"

The first fight promised to be very interesting and entertaining. The best swordsman from every suite competed against each other. Everybody fought against everybody and when one guard fell, he was disqualified. The crowd supported their favourite guard and commented on the fighting. While the men talked about the techniques and skills and gave advice to some of the less talented fighters, the women admired and fancied the fighters' trained bodies.

At the end only two guards were left, one from Lord Richard's suite and one from Lord Francis', Tedeon's brother. They were almost equal, but Lord Richards guard did not pay attention for one short moment. He was distracted by a lovely young lady, sitting in the front row. Lord Francis' guard used the opportunity and struck the other guard with the flat side of his sword between the legs. The latter fell and his fall was followed by laughter and cheering. Lord Francis' warrior took his opponent by the arm and pulled him back to his legs again, thanking him for the fight. They left the field as brothers, laughing happily with the others.

Talia's eyes followed each and every move of the warriors on the field, not missing one detail. She moaned when her father's guard made a mistake and she was one of the loudest to cheer when the victory was theirs. Talia was the first to notice if the warriors made mistakes, because she loved to study the techniques and rules of combat. The swordfight was her favourite. When none of her brothers were watching, she would practice in the stables and on the field, ever since she was a little child. One day Talia had challenged Tarabas. He had been surprised, because he had been ignorant of her secret practising. But all her practising had been useless – she had lost against her more experiences, older brother. But since then her brothers had supported her and given her all the advice she needed, behind their father's back of course, because he would not improve. While she was watching the competition it simply itched in her fingers, because she wanted to be out in the field to show her skills. Talia _knew _she was good enough. She had to be after all these years of practising. But it was impossible to show. The law of Ifram simply did not allow women to compete in the rules of combat. Talia did not understand why it was forbidden, because it was allowed to carry and use a weapon for self-defence and hunting parties. Therefore, it was necessary for Talia to take the precaution of disguising as a boy, because when she had the chance, she practised the rules combat. Luckily, her body was not as feminine as it could have been, so none of her body parts gave her away.

Slowly the spectators left their seats and strolled to the dining room, where refreshment was waiting for them. The sun was shining without exception; therefore, the guests welcomed cool refreshments. Especially the ladies among the guests were having a hard time in theirs long and thick dresses. In Talia's opinion it was a huge suffering they had to endure. Luckily her dress was not as thick as the others, even though it reached to the ground and had long sleeves. She just could not understand why women wouldn't dress themselves appropriate to the weather. Wondering about the Vanity of many female guests, Talia did not notice her three cousins approaching until they were right behind her.

"Hey Talia."

Talia turned towards Jacqueline, one of the twins, surprised.

"Where have you been all day? We have been looking for you and you didn't even sit with us at the tournament." Jacqueline tried to look sternly at Talia with her clear green eyes, but it didn't work because all of a sudden she started to giggle. Her sister, Josephine, joined in. Once again, Talia was amazed how much her cousins look alike. If it had not been for the colours of their dresses, Talia simply could not have told them apart. Jacqueline was wearing a white dress that day, while Josephine was wearing a light blue dress. Both colours made their red hair shine even brightly and emphasized the colour of their eyes. This had an effect on the surrounding men, which they were quite aware of. Josephine and Jacqueline were probably the prettiest girls among the guests, and they loved to show it off.

"Are you going to talk to us at all or just keep on staring?

"Well," Talia began slowly, interrupted in her thoughts, "I didn't feel well this morning, so I stayed in bed and I had to sit with my father at the tournament."

"I think", Josephine started, her eyes shining in pride of the idea she had," I think you were too embarrassed to come down this morning, after what happened yesterday evening." Talia hoped that they wouldn't start talking about it, but unluckily, they did. Somehow she was not surprised.

"What exactly happened yesterday evening?" Leila, Talia's other cousin, wanted to know. She didn't ask in a teasing way but of innocent curiosity. It was the giggling of her other cousins that gave it a teasing character.

"Nothing happened. I only tripped. Are you three thirsty? I was on my way to the dining room to get something to drink before the competitions start again." Talia answered neutrally and changed the subject at once.

"Oh" Leila said disappointed, "I thought it would be an interesting and funny story."

"It was!" Jacqueline exclaimed "I have seen it all from where I was dancing, with this handsome man, who had the cutest smile I could ever imagine."

"Get on with it! We are not interested in your love affairs, Jacqueline." Josephine hit her sister's shoulder slightly, so that she would carry on.

"Where was I? Oh yes! Talia did not only trip, but she knocked over a statue and a servant fell over it. Food flew through the whole room and this all because Talia couldn't get along with her dress." Laughter followed once again.

"Talia, how come you can't get along with a simple dress? That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I mean I have been wearing a similar one and I didn't trip." Josephine asked, still laughing.

Talia didn't answer-she didn't WANT to answer. Her face started to turn red again. She just could not control it. She quickened her pace, explaining she was _very _thirsty and she hoped to get rid of her cousins again in the mass of people.

The other competitions were as interesting as the first. In spear throw Lord Rodrick's guard threw a new record. His spear flew 78 meters. The guard was rewarded well and thanked for the competition.

The winner of the archery was Lord Tedeon's own guard. He never missed a target. Tedeon was proud that his archery training seemed to be the best. After handing out the prizes and thanking all the guards for the wonderful competitions. Tedeon dismissed them to their own banquet. The he turned to his guests.

"My guests" Tedeon said solemnly "I hope you enjoyed the competitions and I would like to bid you all to change if you please, because dinner will be served within the hour. I am looking forward to an enjoyable evening!!"

Talia was just about to leave, following the chattering to guests towards Earie Hall, when she heard her name.

"Talia," her father beckoned his daughter to his seat "I know you have to change, but there is someone who wants to make your acquaintance."

Talia returned and saw the man she would be introduced to. She recognised him; it was Lord Richard, the king's cousin.

"Lord Richard, this is my daughter Talia – the woman from last night."

Talia slightly winced as her father mentioned the incident, even though it was only indirectly. Why does he even have to mention it? Talia thought.

"I am honoured to meet you, Lord Richard" Talia said politely as if nothing had happened and bowed. Straightening up again, she met his stare.

"I am honoured as well. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, except of my wife of course." Lord Richard replied. He was captured by Talia's blue eyes. This gaze was filled with pride and a trace of defiance. Those were the eyes of a strong woman, even though she might seem weak from the outside. She wasn't like the other women he knew. He could see that Talia had a strong spirit, which could not be oppressed by the rules of etiquette.Lord Tedeon could not know that this would become a problem for Talia.

"I am flattered , my lord. Did you enjoy the competitions?" Talia asked to break the silence.

"Yes indeed, I am just slightly disappointed that none of my guards have won. I guess the training must be sharpened." Lord Richard smiled. "I don't want to hold you up. I guess you wanted to change for dinner. Perhaps we can continue our conversation at later."

"I would be honoured." Talia bowed again and tuned towards the castle.

"As I said Lord Tedeon, you are blessed with your daughter. There will be no lack of men, who would want to marry her." Lord Richard clapped Tedeon on the shoulder. "Well, let's get going."

Talia tried to return early to her room, but she could not slip away before Tanis had one dance with her. He annoyed her until she accepted, because he wanted to make up for the dance he didn't get the other night. The banquet was bigger than the one before, because it was the last night of the feast. The guests would be leaving the next day in the afternoon. To complete the solemnity Lord Tedeon invited the guests to be a part of his hunting party the following day.

When Talia finally lay in her bed, she let her thoughts wander free. 'The hunting party…This is my chance to make up for last night. I will beat my brothers. I will whip their smiles off their faces. This is going to be fun…." Talia fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	7. The Hunt

Just as I promised, I finished the next chapter. So please read and review! Enjoy

Chapter seven: The Hunt

When the first rays of light touched the wooden floor of Talia's bedroom, Talia was already up and dressed in a pair of leather trousers and a red tunic, quickly braiding her hair. Excitement and impatience controlled her movements; it resulted in a loose and untidy plait. Some of her dark curls framed Talia's face, which was glowing of anticipation.

"Emily can do it better than me, but I have no time to wait for her." She said to herself, annoyed that she had to waste her time on her hair.

Talia walked out of her room singing to herself. On the way down, she met Emily, who was just on the way up to her.

"Mistress Talia, are you already up?" Emily asked surprised, "I was just about to wake you up. – Your hair mistress… what have you done?" Emily inspected Talia's hair critically and turned her nose up in disapproval.

"Well, I did it myself Emily. I don't want to miss one part of the day so I couldn't wait for you. And there is no time for setting my hair now, so leave me. I like it the way it is."

"Very well mistress." Emily said ascending the stairs again on the way to make Talia's bed.

Talia, on the other hand, continued her way down to the dining room, where she gulped down her breakfast. As more and more guests entered, Talia was already on her way to the stables.

"I knew you would join the hunt, Talia. I guess there is nothing that can stop you, is there? Finally you can show the world what a perfect archer you are."

"You know me too well." Talia turned around and looked into her brother's broadly smiling face. Thetis was wearing a green tunic and a matching pair of trousers, which was perfect for camouflaging in the forest. His bow and arrows hung over his shoulder, and in his right hand he was holding a second bow and in his left another set of arrows.

"I am your brother, what do you expect? I guess you will need this, won't you?" Thetis said, still grinning and handing Talia the bow and arrows.

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot." Talia scowled quietly. She almost forgot the most important thing. "Thanks. As I can see, you are joining as well."

"You bet. I have promised myself that I will shoot the most magnificent stag today!"

"I think you will have to break your promise, my dear brother." Talia said, now also grinning, "I have already decided to do so and no one will stop me!"

"We will see about that." Thetis left for the stables. A few minutes later he returned, leading his black mare to his right and Talia's brown stallion, Strega, to his left. She mounted her horse elegantly and waited, together with Thetis, for the rest of the hunting party to arrive.

When all guests were assembled, Lord Tedeon divided the waiting group in two. One group was the hunting party, following Lord Tedeon and the second group would be following Talas to the picnic spot. Talas never participated in hunting parties, because he despised the fact of killing animals for fun.

Over twenty horses left the court and started off in a quick trot towards the forest, following Lord Tedeon, who was the head of the group. His hunting dogs were up front, trying eagerly to find a fresh trail of a stag. At first Talia was in the middle of the hunting party, but she wanted to catch up with her brothers, and, therefore, she gave Strega a strong kick to urge him on.

After half an hour of a fast but pleasant ride, the dogs suddenly started barking madly – they found a trail. The hunting party spread out and lead their horses into a gallop.Talia loved the feeling of wind blowing against her face and once in while she had to evade low hanging branches. The chase turned faster and more brutal. Several hunters could not hold themselves on their horses and fell, or they got hit by branches. Talia's tunic was ripped open on her left side and her plait fell asunder, but she did not care. She was focused on following the excited dogs. Birds and other small animals ran away in fright, when they heard the screaming of the hunters. The horses where driven faster and faster. At one moment, Tanis was right behind Talia, but when she turned around, he was gone again. Everything went so fast and before Talia could realise it, she was at the head, leaving the other participants behind.

Suddenly a large animal came from the left and nearly crashed into Talia. It was a frightened stag, trying to escape the dogs.

'_What a magnificent stag_.' Talia thought, '_He will be mine_.'

She forced Strega into a faster gallop and laid an arrow onto her bow. The stag ran only a few meters in front of her, desperate to find a way out, but the Underwood was too thick to get through. Talia shot…and missed. The stag made a quick turn and disappeared behind some tall spruces, leaving an angry Talia behind.

"Darn" she shouted, following the stag even faster and laying a second arrow onto her bow. Talia shut everything out, even her yelling brother Tanis behind her, and focused only on the stag:

And there he was again! Talia let go of Strega's reins, aimed and let go of the arrow. She hit! The stag's left hind leg was now injured; which made him slower. Talia shot again. Another hit- this time it was the stag's right shoulder. The stag ran in a zigzag, trying to avoid Talia's arrows. He did not want to give up.

"Strong one, aren't you?" Talia yelled, aiming for the fatal shot. This time she hit him in the neck, a lethal wound. He tumbled and fell. She jumped off her horse and walked towards the stag, which was still breathing, although very shallow. Then he tried to rise up one last time, but fell back again. The stag closed its eyes forever.

Talia looked upon the stag, whose courage and pride lasted long but were broken in the end. If she would have known that this obstinacy towards defeat and suppression would repeat itself again in her own life, she would not have looked down upon the stag with an expression of pride and triumph.

It was not long until the rest of the hunting party arrived, all looking quite tired. It had been a hard ride. Talia was sitting on a stone next to the stag. It took a while for them to realise that the stag was dead and that Talia was the one who shot him. Who would have thought that a woman could do such a thing?

'_Serves you right_' Talia thought, '_You laughed at me at the banquet, so I took away your prize. Now you have nothing more to laugh about_.'

"Nice going, sister." Tanis said, getting off his horse and examining the stag. "This is indeed a magnificent stag. One of the best I have seen so far."

"Yeah. In the future, we will have to take you willy-nilly with us on our hunting trips. We cannot manage without you!" Tarabas admitted sarcastically.

"Oh shut up. You are only jealous."

"Well I have to admit," Thetis joined the examining, "You beat me this time. But I say it was only luck. Next time I will win!"

"Want to bet?" Talia smirked.

Lord Tedeon examined the stag a while as well, until he turned to face his daughter.

"I must say Talia, your technique was perfect. First slowing him down and then giving him the final shot. I could not have done it better myself. I am proud of you, my daughter"

Talia's grin turned wider and wider with every word her father said. It was unusual for him to give compliments, especially when guests were around. This honouring in public was special and made her heart beat in pride. Nothing could ruin her day now – but she was to be mistaken.


End file.
